Equalizer connection for track laying tractors



Dec. 26, 1933.

E. A. JOHNSTON 1,941,011

EQUALIZER CONNECTION FOR TRACK LAYING TRACTORS Filed Dec. 2, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 26, 1933. E. A. JOHNSTON EQUALIZER CONNECTION FORTRACK LAYING TRACTORS Filed Dec. 2, 1951' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v w gg Theprincipalobjectof theinvention is to' pro- It' is to be understood thatthe structure at down movement without causing strains on the tendingoutwardly." A plurality of trackrollers 65 i spring.

" and; dustex cluded.

"'25 Figure 1 is a side 'elev'ationshowi'ngatrack bracket 26- secured tothe main frame 10,; The

-30 nism omittedfi Figure '4 is'an enlarged sectional view taken ingsleeves 27 arefitted 'As the construction at 90 present invention. Thetractor has a mainframe nanylof ahonbw Cylindrical attaching member-3Qframe wand projecting'laterally therefrom. A

mounted between upwardlyextending links 16, w e o its cylindricalportion in a trans? 195 ?atented Dec. 1933 I i i V i UNITED; STATESPATENT IoF c-E v v I JiA I G i v 41 EQUALIZER CONNECTION FOR TRACK s 1 vLAYINGYTRACTORS v Edward A; Johnston Chicago, 111., assigns 1t;-Internatio nal Harvester Company; a. corpora- I l yt nefNew J rs r rAppli'cation'Dece mber 2,1931, I Serial Norma ize g V. t Claims.(01305-9 H A Thisinvention relates to atrack layi'ng'tractor. position.A track chain 18, consisting of links More; specifically it relatesto anequalizer pivoted together,- extends around thechain 7 spring supportfor track laying tractors'having sprockets 11 v and 15,. being driven bythe sprocket 11.

3-point suspension;

vide an improved equalizer spring support.- each sideof the tractor isexactly the same. Each A more specific object is-to provide a suptrackframe 13 consists in'part of two longiport of" such nature thatthe trackframes ontudinally'exten'ding channel bars 19 arranged in g which the springrests may have free up and spaced relationship with the'channelportions ex- I i i 20are mounted beneath the bars'1'9 onbrackets Another object is to provide an equalizer spring 21 rigidly"secured 'thereto.- A shield 22 is "atsupport permitting limited lateralmovement of tached to'the side of the track frame-covering-the the trackframes-with respect to; the equalizer rollers 20 in Figure 1.'

equalizer spring.

F g 4 g a Y Beneath the main frame lo'forward of the cen- Another'objectis to provide aconnection 'beter of gravity of the frame and themechanism tw'een'an equalizer'spring and the track'frames carriedthereby a transverse support and equalof an improved constructionwhereby the moving izer member; in the form of a spring 23 extends partsare enclosed, may be properly lubricated, underneath the frame. Althoughin" the -con'-- H ,j j i struction' illustrated the transverse support"is 15 The above objectsand otherswhich'will-be apa spring, it is to beunderstood that it"might parent from the detailed description to follow,pe formed from a rigid bar where springiactio'n are accomplishedby'aconstruct-ion'such asshown wasn'ot necessary. Said spring issecuredby'e bearing'bracketf24 and apin 25'to a bearing U inf-thedrawings; in tvhichi f' laying tractor of the type on which theinvention "pin 25 extends longitudinally-' thereby permitis adapted tobe utilized; 1 I ting rocking movement of the spring"23 with the -r g re2 is acrosssection on the line 2-,-2 of outer ends moving in an up'ariddown "direc Figure 1,'with certain partsof the-idlerinecha- -tion. Thebrackets 24 and 26 may be formed to H iv permit limitedlongitudinabmovement of] the 35 Figure 3 is a plan'view ofthe tractorshown spring in accordance with the common practice inrFigure-l withportions of the track'broken inlconstructio ns of thi type;

w Show the e bai s constituting The outer ends of thelower leaf of thespring '23 areformed'into'c'ylinders within which'- 'bear"- theinvention; Land I .v s v r each end of the spring is e t y the same-theslnih drawinesomy suehre of the W r p i n will be limited to the partsat I hieh -iS of a" QonventiQnaI @Onstlfitioh, a end. A'p v2IOtaliablyextends through the Sho a necessary tofcleafly illustrate. thebearing l e 27 andinto bosses '29'f0rrned intervion the line 44-4 ofFigure 2. I

mi r i "2 'li i e d Said member is rotatablyfitted in. a'housin'g l llfi er ig g 2 35595535 3%??? 3 3 5 5 formed as a casting. "Said casting,vas shownjin a or a un a Sp 0c 6 s Figure 3', is formed with ahorizontal flange which are mounted on shafts 1-2-;.carr1ed by the mainl I extendsforwardly, laterally and rearwardly from the housing. Saidflange is securedbya plural verse shafts 14 extending laterally from themain ityiof bolts 32 channel bar i is mounted frame of the-tractor; Atthe front end ofeach of withmuthachannd bars 19 and rigidly $91 l thetrack frames an-idler wheel 15 is rotatably therein; The'attachingmemberfioisposltwned track frame 13 is pivotallymounted on'transwhichare inturn pivotally' connected ona'transverse 'directiomthez n 0f thepr x n in verse axis to the forward ends of the track frames Within themember through one end thereofiw'lhe 13. A cushioned idler structure17'is" connected bosses'29 are horizontally below the center of the tothe links-16 and *to" the"tr'ack frame for memberBO. Likewise the pin28is below the cen 55 resiliently maintaining the idler sprocket 15' inten {This construction-isused to provideaddi- 1110' I as a bearingmember.

tional clearance for the second leaf of the spring, which may alsoextend within the member.

The side of the housing 31, which is adjacent the center of the tractor,is open; This construction provides for the insertion and removal of the'member 30, which in effect might be termed a piston Ears 34at the openside of the housing provide means for attaching a cover plate by meansof bolts 36 which extend through the cover plate and are threaded intothe ears. Said cover plate is'provided with a central opening of lessdiameter than the diameter of the member 30,

whereby said member may be retained within the housing and at the sametime the action of the spring end may not be interfered with.

The cylindrical chamber formed by the housing 31 and the cover plate 35,isslightly longer in a transverse direction than the length in the samedirection of the member 30, whereby said member may reciprocate as apiston in said chamber As previously stated, said member may also rotatewithin. the housing.

Channels areformed around the member 30 to provide for the distributionof a lubricant. A pressed steelplate 37, having a central opening and aflange outwardly extending, is also secured with the cover plate 35 bythe bolts 36 and forms an abutment or stop for the piston member 30. Aboot 38 of flexible material is secured to the flange of said plate andextends around the end of the spring. At a point spaced from the end ofthe spring said boot is secured to the spring in dusttight relationshipwith respect thereto by a clamp 39. The boot has sufficient flexibilityto permit the maximum angular movement of the spring with respect to theframe without undue strain .upon its connecting means.

The operation of the device embodying the present invention will beclear from the detailed description. As the; tractor moves over unevenground the forward ends of the track frames rise and fall with respectto each other. Toaccomimodate this movement it is necessary that thecross support and stabilizer, shown as the spring 23, be pivotallyconnected to the track frames on longitudinal axes. Itis also necessary,to prevent torsional strains on the cross support that said support bepivotally connected to the track frames ontransverse axes. The pins 28,by which the springs 23 are pivotally secured to the members 30 and themounting of said members for rotation structing the housings 31 withtheir internal transverse dimensions greater than the same transversedimension of the members 30, the end wall being formed to provide a stopin one directio'njand thecover plate forming a stop in the 7 otherdirection.

It is to be understood that applicant has shown and described only apreferred embodiment of his equalizer and stabilizer for track layingtractors and that he claims as his invention all modifications fallingwithin the scope of the appended "claims.

- What is claimed is:

1'. Ina track laying tractor having a main frame, track frames pivotallyconnected to the rear of the main frame and a front supporting memberconnected to the main frame for angular movement with respect'thereto,and in combination therewith, stabilizing connections between thesupporting member and the track frames comprising attaching memberspivotally secured on horizontal axes extending in the direction ofthetrack frames to the ends of the supporting member, and casingsrigidly secured to the track frames, said attaching members beingrotatable about axes transverse to the direction of extension of thetrack frames in said casings and slidable along said axes in thecasings.

2. In a track laying tractor having a main frame, track frames pivotallyconnected to the rear of the'main frame and a front supporting thesupporting member and the track frames comprising attaching memberspivotally secured on horizontal axes extending in the direction of thetrack frames to the ends of the supporting member, and casings rigidlysecured to the track frame, said attaching members being substantiallycylindrical in form and mounted for rotation about axes-transverse tothe direction of extension of the track frames in said casings and forreciprocation along said axes in the casings.

3. In a track laying tractor having a main frame, track frames pivotallyconnected to the rear of the main frame and a front supporting memberconnected'to themain frame for angular movement with respect thereto,and in combination therewith, stabilizing connections between thesupporting member and the track frames comprising attaching memberspivotally secured .on horizontal axes extending in the direction of thetrack frames to the ends of the supporting member, and casings having acylindrical bore therein rigidly secured to the track frames, saidattaching members being formed as pistons rotatably mounted in saidcasings aboutaxes transverse to the direction; of extension of the trackframes and mounted for reciprocation along said axes. V

4. In a track laying tractor having a main frame, track frames pivotallyconnected to the rear end of the main frame and a front supportingmember connectedto the main frame for angular movement with respectthereto, and in combination therewith, stabilizing connections frames,saidpistons being mountedin said mem-' bers for angular movementwith-respectthereto about axestransverse to the track frames and forreciprocation with" respect to said members along said axes, and stopmeans rigidly mounted on the track frames positioned to limitreciprocating movement of the pistons in both directions.

, 5. In a track laying tractor having a main frame, track framespivotally connected to the rear end of the main frame and a frontsupporting member connected to the main frame for angular. movement withrespect thereto, and in combination therewith, stabilizing connectionsbe-' tween the supporting member and the track frames comprisingattaching members pivotally secured on horizontal axes extending in thesame direction as the track frames to the ends of the supporting member,and casings rigidly secured to the track frames, said attaching membersbe-, ing rotatable about axes transverse to the direction of extensionof the track frames in said casings and being mounted for reciprocationin the casings along said axes, means being provided on the casings tolimit the reciprocation of said members in both directions.

6. In a track laying tractor having a main frame, track frames pivotallyconnected to the rear end of the main frame and a front supportingmember connected to the main frame for angular movement with respectthereto, and in combination therewith, stabilizing connections betweenthe supporting member and the track movement with respect to the casingsabout axes I transverse to the direction of extension of the trackframes and for reciprocation along said axes, stop means rigid withrespect'to the track frames being provided to limit reciprocatingmovement of the pistons in both directions.

EDWARD A. JOHNSTON.

